Thinking about applying to the the Fiscal Sponsorship Program?
Remember, you
must be actively fundraising or about to begin fundraising to be eligible. Here
are some other things to consider before applying:
How Far Are You Into the Project?
What is Your Experience Level as a Director?
What Type of Work Sample Best Reflects You and Your Project?
Ready to Apply?
How Far Are You Into the Project?
Think of applying to our Fiscal Sponsorship program as a segue into fundraising. Your project proposal should be clear and concise, with a clear direction for the film. In addition, your goals for the project (particularly its Distribution phase) should be clear and realistic. Some projects come to us too early in the development process; as a result, their project description or treatment is not specific enough, or they have not yet thought out their fundraising or distribution strategies for the film. Our Review Committee looks at submitted proposals assuming they will soon be presented to funders. Please keep this in mind when considering which of our deadlines you will apply to.
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What is Your Level of Experience as
a Director?
We readily support the work of emerging filmmakers. However, if you are a first-time director, we recommend bringing on a more experienced producer, either in a producer role or in an advisory capacity. This demonstrates to our Review Committee (and potential funders) that the project has the proper guidance to be brought to fruition.
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What Type of Work Sample Best Reflects You and Your Project?
Sample work submitted should best
reflect your work as an independent filmmaker. Do not
submit a director’s reel of work you have done for
corporations or commercial television. The purpose of
the Work Sample is to show our Review Committee how you
visually and cinematically handle material, as well as
demonstrate your technical skill.
Documentary Filmmakers: If
your project is a documentary, you MUST submit footage
of the project you are actually proposing for
Sponsorship. If you are a first-time director or are
early in the research and development process, you need
to go out and shoot some footage, put together a
rough assembly (it need only be a few minutes) and
submit this as part of your application. Keep in mind,
you will likely need this to raise money for your film;
a potential donor may want a better idea of what they
will be funding, and most major foundations now require
this element for all applications.
Narrative Filmmakers: If you have a narrative
project, you may submit prior work, preferably within
the same genre (i.e. a narrative short for a proposed
feature, etc.). Again, do not submit a director's reel
from work you have been commissioned to do. Likewise,
sample work from your DP, editor or producer is not
acceptable; our Committee's evaluation of sample work is
to assess the skill and creativity of the project's
director as it will be applied to their own independent
production.
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Ready to Apply?
 Application
and Guidelines [PDF]
[Word]
When downloaded to your computer and displayed using Acrobat
Reader, the application will display as a read/write, on-screen
document. The application may be completed on-screen. The mouse
will change to a cursor; use the tab-key or your mouse to
navigate through the form. It may then be printed out and
mailed.
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